Stroke Malpractice Cases For Misdiagnosis and Delayed Treatment

Stroke malpractice cases are often filed for both the misdiagnosis of a stroke and for the delay in treatment when a patient presents with signs of a stroke. It is essential that hospital and doctors perform a proper medical work up for patients presenting with symptoms consistent with a stroke. The misdiagnosis of a stroke and the delay in providing prompt and appropriate treatment can lead to devastating consequences.

Emergency room physicians and other doctors regularly see patients who a number of symptoms of a stroke. Common signs and symptoms of a patient having a stroke or an impending stroke include:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg (especially on one side of the body)

Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech

Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes

Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination

Sudden severe headache with no known cause

When a patient has some or all of these symptoms and gets to the hospital quickly, the medical team must not only order tests, like a CT scan or MRI, but must also act quickly to prevent serious neurological damage if the patient is having a stroke. One such treatment that has proven effective in minimizing the damage from a stroke is a drug called a tissue plasminogen activator (TPA). TPA must be administered within the first three hours of the onset of the stroke. It can only be used if there is a blood clot in the brain, but not if there is bleeding. TPA dissolves the blood clot, opening up the artery

Our medical malpractice attorneys in Michigan file cases against hospitals for the failure to properly give TPA to a patient presenting with early signs of a stroke in the hospital emergency department. A patient presenting with the symptoms of a stroke should be carefully evaluated and tested for the condition before being discharged home from the hospital. Medical malpractice claims alleging the failure to diagnose and treat patients presenting with signs and symptoms of a stroke are the third most frequent type of malpractice claim alleged against emergency departments.

To determine whether you or someone you know has the legal basis to file a stroke case for misdiagnosing a stroke or for the delayed treatment of a stroke should contact our office immediately to discuss your case. There are strict time deadlines for filing a case and if you miss that deadline your case will be barred forever. Fill out our contact form or call our medical malpractice lawyers at (800) 606-1717 to get started on your case.